Pneumatic card stripping mechanism



March 15, 1949. E WHHE 2,464,425

PNEUMATIC CARD STRIPPING MECHANISM Filed June 2, 1947 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lave/211 02 fiiaw' zes E. Wfi li e, zw/mwswwoaww flifioa negs March 15, 1949. c, wvHlTE 2,464,425 PNEUMATIC CARD STRIPPING MECHANISM I 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1947 e Ely-6.

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PNEUMATIC CARD S TR IPPING MECHANISM Filed June 2, 194' 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 15, 1949 ZAMAZS PNEUMATIC CARD STRIPPING MECHANISM Charles E. White, Abington, Mass, assignor to Abington Textile Machinery Works, Abington, Mass, a trust of Massachusetts Application June 2, 1947, Serial No. 751,813

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatic stripping mechanism for carding machines. A usual type of a penumatic card stripper comprises a head having one or more nozzles, usually one nozzle for the main cylinder and one nozzle for the doffer cylinder, connected to a pipe for supplying suction and operated 'by a traverse mechanism to have a transverse bodily movement while stripping the fibre from the carding machine cylinder or cylinders. This general type of mechanism is familiar to those skilled in the art and examples thereof are shown in the :patent to Clark No. 2,281,268, April 28, 1942, and the patents therein referred to.

The main object of the present invention is to provide novel, simple and effective means in this type of mechanism for automatically closing the valve controlling the supply of suction upon the completion of the traversing movement,

The object of the invention is further to provide a cover for the slot in the casing of the main cylinder of the carding machine along which the nozzle is traversed which shall :be yieldingly held in closed position, which shall be held open during the traversing movement of the nozzle and until released by the nozzle at the end of the traversing movement and in which the valve controlling the supply of suction shall be closed by means of the :power exerted by the cover in mOVlng to closed position at the end of the traversing movement of the stripping mechanism.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Since, as already pointed out, the type of mechanism to which this invention relates is familiar to those skilled in the art, it is only necessary here to illustrate and describe so much of one form of such a mechanism as is necessary to a disclosure of preferred forms of the present invention. In the drawings there are shown small portions of the casing of the main cylinder and the side frame of the dofier cylinder of a carding machine and the pneumatic stripping mechanism is shown of that type having two nozzles, one cooperating with the main cylinder and the other with the doffer, with a single valve for controlling the supply of suction simultaneously to both nozzles. The stripping mechanism is also shown supported on the dofier side frame.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of mechanism embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the left hand end of the main cylinder casing at the slotted .portion with the cover in closed position and the end of the nozzle in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, illustrating the valve in open position;

Fig. 4.- is a view similar to Fig. 3 illustrating the valve in closed position;

Fig. 5 is an, enlarged detail, chiefly in vertical cross section, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, and with the valve in closed position;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a slightly diiTerent embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a detail cross section on the line l--'l of Fig. 6, showing the type of valve employedl therein in closed position;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the valve in open position; and

Fig. 9 is a View partially in. elevation and in cross section on the line 99 of Fig. '7.

The casing ill of the main cylinder of the carding machine is provided with a narrow transverse slot ll opposite which the nozzle of the penumatic stripping mechanism is traversed to strip the fibre from the carding cylinder. The stripping mechanism itself is illustrated as supported by a frame l2 riding on a tube l3 and given a bodily traversing movement by a screw '14-, all by means familiar to those skilled in the art. This stripping mechanism is shown as having a head I5 supported from the bracket l2 and divided into two nozzles, the nozzle I6 extending to the point opposite the slot H and the nozzle I! extending adjacentthe doffer. Suction is sup-plied to the nozzles through the head by a flexible pipe [8 leading to a suitable source of supply.

A suitable valve is provided for controlling the supply of suction to the nozzles and in the form illustrated where two nozzles are employed this valve is located so as simultaneously to control the supply of suction to both nozzles.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 3, 4, and 5, the valve is yieldingly pressed toward closed position and held in open position by a latching mechanism. In this form the movable valve member is a plate is mounted to slide between a pair'of guide plates Zll and 2i mounted in the nozzle head and apertured to form the valve port 22. The valve member I9 is normally and yieldingly projected to closed position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 by a coiled spring 23 surrounding an adjustable bolt 23 mounted in a projecting end of the plate 2!] and enclosed by a casing 25. The projectin arm 265 of this spring is bent upward to enter and move in a slot 21 in the end of the valve plate l9. When the valve is in open position the valve plate 19 is held against the tension of the spring 24 by a latch shown as a projection 28 standing in front of the end of the valve plate and resting against a small positioning pin 29 projecting from the plate 29.

In this type of card stripping mechanism, when it is desired to strip the cylinders of the carding machine, the operator moves the stripping mechanism bodily to the right so that the nozzles are opposite the right hand edge of the cylinders. Then the valve supplying suction to the nozzles is opened and the traversing mechanism set in operation causing the nozzles to traverse slowly across the cylinders throughout their entire width, but when the stripping operation is completed it is essential that the supply of suction be cut off immediately and that the carding machine be returned to operation.

In the present invention a cover 30 is provided for the slot i i in the casing of the main cylinder and is normally and yieldingly maintained closed so as to protect the main cylinder along with the casing during the operation of the carding machine. This insures that this slot, through which suction is supplied in the stripping operation, shall only remain open when it is required for stripping. The closing movement is shown as eiTected by a coiled spring 3| on the pintle of the hinges 32, one of which is shown, by which the cover 3!] is pivotally mounted on the casing. At its left hand end, or that end at which the traversing movement terminates, the cover is cut away at its edge to provide a notch 330, as shown in Fig. 2. The cover is held in open position to enable the nozzle to traverse the slot beneath the cover by means of a latch 33 shown pivoted at 34 on a projection 35 from the casing It. This latch is shown having a shoulder 33! which swings under the curved side 332 of the notch 330 when the cover is raised to, and thus holds it in, open position. The curved side 332 of the notch merges into a straight back portion 333 which when, the cover is closed is substantially coincident with the upper edge of the slot I l.

The construction thus described is such that when the nozzle moving opposite the slot beneath the open cover 3!] reaches the end of its traversing movement it passes opposite the notch in the edge of the cover and engages the latch 33', thus releasing the cover and allowing it to move to closed position under the influence of the spring 3|.

The closing movement of the cover under the influence of its spring is here utilized simultaneously to eiiect the closing of the valve supplying the suction. This is secured by a means supported on the carding machine and engaged by-the stripping mechanism at the end of the traversing movement and operated bythe closing movement of the cover to efi'ect the closing. movement of the valve. A preferred form of such a means is shown as a shipper in the form of a rod 36 mounted near one end to slide in a guide 31 supported by a bracket arm 38 from the bracket 39 which supports one end of the traversing mechanism. This rod 36 at its left hand end is pivoted at All to a projection ti on the cover at, and held mounted removably on the pivot by a flat spring 42, and at the other end has adjustably mounted thereon a projection as. These parts are so positioned and adjusted that when the cover 30 is in open position, as shown in Fig. 1, the projection 43 will stand just to the right of the path of a striker in the form of an arm 44 connected with the projection 28 which is holding the valve latched in closing position. This arm 44 and projection 28 preferably form the arms of a bell crank lever pivoted at 45 on the nozzle head. It will thus be seen with the parts in this position that as the end of the traversing movement of the stripping mechanism is reached the striker 44 will come in front of'the projection 43 and simultaneously the latch 33 will be moved to release the cover and the cover in turn will move the shipper 36, causing the projection lt to rock the parts 44 and 28 on the pivot 45, thus unlatching the valve and allowing the spring 23 immediately to effect the closing of the valve.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 6-9 inclusive differs only from that already described in the construction and operation of the valve con trolling the supply of suction and hence needs but a brief description. In this form of the invention the valve member is a plate 50 mounted to rotate on a pivot 5i and swings into and out of open and closing position between the plates 52 and 53 in which is formed the valve port 54. When the valve plate 50 is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 7, the finger 55 at one end of the plate engages the bolt 56 connecting the plates 52 and 53 and when it is in open position, shown in Fig. 8, the finger 51 at its opposite end engages the bolt '58.

A shipper or rod 59 is supported and connected to the cover of the slot similar to the one already described and carries at its end a projection 60 adjustably secured thereto by the set screw 6|. During the traversing movement when the cover is open the projection 60 stands behind the path of a striker member depending from the valve and shown as a sleeve 62 rotatably mounted on a bolt 63 secured in the valve plate 50. These parts are so positioned that at the end of the traversing movement when the sleeve 62 is in front of the projection 60 and the closing movement of the cover takes place the valve plate will be swung on its pivot 5| from the open position shown in Fig. 8 to the closed position shown in Fig. 7.

a Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinderhaving a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic striping mechanism, including a nozzle and a valve for opening and closing the passageway to the nozzle, mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot andv beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, and means supported on the carding machine cooperating with the stripping mechanism at the end of said movement and operated by the closing movement of the cover to effect the closing of the valve.

2. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic stripping mechanism, including a nozzle and a valve for opening and closing the passageway to the nozzle, mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, means supported on the carding machine and moved by the closing movement of the cover, and a striker carried by the stripping mechanism into cooperation with the said means at the end of the traversing movement and operated by the movement of the said means to efiect the closing of the valve.

3. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic stripping mechanism, including a nozzle and a valve for opening and closing the passageway to the nozzle, mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, a shipper supported on the carding machine connected to the cover and having a projection at its opposite end, a striker carried by the stripping mechanism into cooperation with the said projection at the end of the traversing movement and operated by the shipper upon the closing movement of the cover to efiect the closing of the valve.

4. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic stripping mechanism, including a nozzle and a slidingly mounted valve plate for opening and closing the passageway to the nozzle and a spring acting to move the valve plate to closing position and latching means holding the valve plate in open position, the said stripping mechanism mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, and means supported on the carding machine cooperating with the stripping mechanism at the end of said movement and operated by the closing movement of the cover to release the latching mechanism and thus eifect the closing of the valve.

5. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic striping mechanism, including a nozzle and a slidingly mounted valve plate for opening and closing the passageway to the nozzle and a spring acting to move the valve plate to closing position and latching means holding the valve plate in open position, the said stripping mechanism mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, a shipper mounted on the carding machine connected to the cover and having a projection at its opposite end, a striker for the latching mechanism carried by the stripping mechanism into cooperation with the said projection at the end of the traversing movement and operated by the shipper upon the closing movement of the cover to release the latching mechanism and thus effect the closing of the valve.

6. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic stripping mechanism, including a nozzle and a pivoted valve plate for the passageway to the nozzle swinging between open and closed positions and stops for limiting the movements of the valve plate, the said stripping mechanism mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, and means supported on the carding machine cooperating with the stripping mechanism at the end of said movement and operated by the closing movement of the cover to swing the valve plate to its closed position.

7. In a carding machine a casing for the main cylinder having a transverse slot, a cover for the slot pivotally mounted on the casing and yieldingly held in closed position, pneumatic stripping mechanism, including a nozzle and a pivoted valve plate for the passageway to the nozzle swinging between open and closed positions and stops for limiting the movements of the valve plate, the said stripping mechanism mounted for bodily traversing movement parallel to the slot with the nozzle opposite the slot and beneath the cover in open position during said movement and acting to release the cover to closed position at the end of said movement, a shipper mounted on the carding machine connected to the cover and having a projection at its opposite end, a striker mounted on the pivoted valve plate and carried by the stripping mechanism into cooperation with the said projection at the end of the traversing movement and operated by the shipper upon the closing movement of the cover to swing the valve to closed position.

CHARLES E. WHITE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,293,798 Kestner Feb. 11, 1919 2,248,863 Goldsmith July 8, 1941 

